Drew wrote:How can I realistically see if someone would drink tea from my cafe versus coffee from Starbucks?

Don't. Offer. Tazo. Starbucks will never attract serious tea drinkers by offering trendy bagged tea. Offer loose teas in a variety of brands. Offer teabags, as well, for those that may prefer them. (Adagio sells loose tea that's wrapped in a teabag of sorts - seems like the best solution; you don't sacrifice quality for convenience.)

Hi -- I am new to the tea world, but have much experience collecting customer feedback and watching potential customers use products. My main advice would be to watch what people DO, and don't listen to most of what they say. Serve them a cup of Tazo and then a cup of what you plan to offer, without any indication of what is what, and watch their response. Do they finish your cup of tea, make a pleasant face or ask for more? Also, serve it in an environment similar to the shop you plan to open (as opposed to a lab or another Starbucks) and see if people are comfortable. I also recommend going to a Starbucks and seeing what people are doing there, watch what they ask for and see if Starbucks delivers. If they don't, it's opportunity for you.